Table 1. Genes targeted and oligonucleotide primers designed.

Gene	Target genera/species	Name	5′-3′ oligonucleotide primer sequence	A	B	Size (bp)
fusA	Salmonella enterica	FusSalFwd	CCA TCA TCG CTG GTA TGG G	−	−	576
		FusSalRev	CAG ATT CCT GAC CTT TGA GC	HEX	FAM
hly	Listeria monocytogenes	HlyFwd2	GCC TGC AAG TCC TAA GAC G	FAM	FAM	140
		HlyRev2	AAC CTT TTC TTG GCG GCA CA	FAM	FAM
pGEM-	Internal amplification control	IacFwd	ACG ACT CAC TAT AGG GCG	ROX	ROX	277
3Zf (+)	(IAC)	IacRev2	ACG ACA GGT TTC CCG AC	None	None
prs	L. innocua; L. ivanovii;	PrsListFwd*	GCC TTA CTA TGG YTA YGC ACG	TET	PET	582
	L. monocytogenes; L. seeligeri;	PrsListRevA*	TCA ATC CAT TTK TCT TCT GGA AGA GC	TET	NED
	L. welshimeri	PrsListRevB	TCA ATC CAT TTA TCT TCT GGG AGA GC	TET	NED
prs	L. grayi	PrsListFwd2	ACC GCG TCC GAA TGT CGC A	TET	PET	264
		PrsListRevC	TCG ATC CAT TTT TCT TCT GGT AAA GC	TET	NED
recA	L. innocua; L. ivanovii;	RecListFwd3*	CCW GAT ACA GGA GAR CAA GC	FAM	FAM	364
	L. monocytogenes; L. seeligeri;	RecListRev*	TAC CCA TTA CAT CHG TAC CTT G	FAM	FAM
	L. welshimeri
rpoB	S. enterica	RpoSalmFwd2	GCG TAC CTA ACG GTG TC	ROX	VIC	493
		RpoSalmRevB	TCG ATC GGG TTG ATC TTA GAG ATA	ROX	VIC

^*Degenerate primers, where degeneracies follow the IUPAC nomenclature for incompletely specified bases and are described in bold, specifically: ‘Y’ = C or T; ‘K’ = G or T; ‘W’ = A or T; ‘R’ = A or G; ‘H’ = A, C or T. (www.chem.qmul.ac.uk/iubmb/misc/naseq.html).

^#Primers were 5′ labelled with fluorescent dyes according to the text using either complete dye set A or B.